By Mary Beth Pottratz The first day of fall is just a week away, but nature barely seems to know! The forest, prairie and bogs are lush with green. Crickets whirr, bees buzz, frogs croak and call. Lush forest Tiny white petals of flat-topped white aster reflect bright sunlight, their centers resembling mini-suns themselves. A…
Category: Nature Notes
Drawn to Water
By Sydney Chandler We have an interesting relationship with water. It’s essential to our survival yet can be a powerful or even dangerous force. Water draws on our curiosity and prompts us to gaze at it, gather near it, and worry about its health. Water at the Arboretum is no exception to this draw. Pink…
Signs of the Season
By Greg Lecker Gardens and road construction are in full bloom in late summer. So too are the native plants moving into another stage of their life. Within the tri-lobed leaves of high-bush cranberry are its ripening berries which the shrub will hold onto until next spring unless they become fruit for wildlife. Joining its…
On Assignment at the Arb
By Holly Einess As I leave my house for the Arboretum this morning, my husband says, “I want you to get a photo of a chipmunk, a dragonfly, and… hmmm… a heron. Great blue, black-crowned night, green, doesn’t matter; just don’t come home without it.” I’m surprisingly pleased to be given this playful assignment, and…
Sweet Summer Surprises
By Mary Beth Pottratz Cardinal flowers Bright red cardinal flowers greet me at eye level in the sunny prairie. Flowering spurge, also known as false baby’s breath, blooms in white clouds. I avoid touching the plant and its irritating sap, but I know the birds love its seeds. Tiny slivers of golden petals are starting…
Primary Colors
By Greg Lecker All around me, the foliage is lush and thick and dripping with water from yesterday’s rains – especially in the woodland. Green foliage is all around. At the edge of forest are medium height spikes of blue flowers. These are bellflowers – but not the purple European bellflowers that are weeds in…
I Spy with My Little Eye
By Sydney Chandler The game of ‘I Spy’ challenges us to notice details around us and describe them in new ways. It was fun to recently overhear visitors at the Arboretum exclaim “Wow, I’ve never seen that before!” as they paused to observe details around them. So here’s a few I Spy items to watch…
Arboretum Web Extra: Gardener Jenny Thull’s Favorite Squash Recipes
Arboretum gardeners John and Jenny Thull grew 325 varieties of cucurbita (pumpkins, squash and gourds) at the Arboretum this year, and Jenny has cooked with every one of them to see how they taste. As a trained chef, she’s also researched squash recipes from around the world and developed a variety of recipes to highlight…
Lake Tamarack Explorations
By Holly Einess Today I’m eager to check out the Arboretum’s new Lake Tamarack property. I drive one mile west past the Arboretum entrance on Hwy 5 and take the first right on a little gravel road just past Minnewashta Parkway [400 Arboretum Blvd., Victoria, MN 55386]. A small parking lot, a couple of old…
Summer Respite
By Mary Beth Pottratz Bright sunshine and few clouds are welcome relief from the oppressive rain and humidity of the past weeks. And the prairie is magnificent today! Rattlesnake master Rattlesnake master is about to blossom. This unique plant has been classified as a special concern species by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. An…
